If you've been out drinking knowing that your getting on the bike the next day whats the rule on how long it takes for alcohol to process through your system because as i understand it even if you dont feel drunk any more you could still be over the limit

Despite the fact that the rate at which you "burn off" alcohol is pretty much constant, there is no magic formula to calculate this...

A blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.016 burns off in 1 hour - that's the constant bit... this is approximately the equivalent of 1 "standard" drink or 1 unit (around half a pint of a regular strength beer).

It's the rate at which your blood alcohol content rises that varies between individuals, not the rate at which it falls.

So if you have a BAC of say, 0.08 (driving limit), it'll take 5 hours for it to revert to a BAC of zero (at a rate of 0.016 per hour).

But this is where the problem lies... how do you know your starting BAC? As a shortarsed female, if I drank 2-3 units within an hour, I'd likely reach a BAC of 0.08, whereas a taller, larger built male would likely be able to consume 5 units before reaching the same BAC level.

People try to simplify it by saying that, as you burn off approximately 1 unit an hour, you can safely drive x number of hours after drinking by adding up the number of drinks you had... but it's not as simple as that.

If I went out and matched a 6' 4" tall, 20 stone guy drink for drink, he'd be (legally) "safe" to drive/ride much sooner than I would, because his BAC wouldn't have risen as high as mine during the time we were drinking.

So your BAC depends how much, how fast and how long you were drinking for and also on your physiology.

If you look to the pros e.g. long distance hauliers, cabbies etc, most of them won't consume any alcohol during the 24 hours before a shift.

Every person I know who has been caught for drink-driving (apart from 1) was done the "morning after the night before", when they thought they were fine to trundle into work as normal.

ive heard the 1 unit per hour thing b4 but i know that people handle drink differently from person to person so thats why i wasnt sure if there was a hard and fast rule as to how much a person could drink and the time it takes for them to be able to drive/ride safely. Im only a skinny bloke about 5Ǝ" so for me the best rule to follow is no drinking 24hrs before driving or riding.                                                                                                                                                                              

blimey yorkie your only 53 inch tall that makes you an umpalumpa dont it   think wannabe has answered that one very well indeed impressed                                                                                                                                                                             

Voice of experience WN

People try to simplify it by saying

By "people", I mostly refer to a long gone ex of mine who, after losing his licence through drink-driving (riding), attended one of these stupid "drink drive awareness" courses to reduce the length of his ban...

And ended up WORSE than ever before, because he misunderstood what he was being taught and chose to believe he could calculate precisely how much he could drink and when he could ride after having a skinful.

Eejit!

I did a great deal of research myself when he started coming home full of tales about what he'd "learned" on the course... I was horrified at what they seemed to be filling his head with, so tried to prove to him logically and scientifically that he was talking out of his backside... Complete failure, because what did I know about such things? THEY were the pros, running the course and that's what THEY'D told him. I think not! I think it's what he chose to hear!

Oh well. I was just the boring, stuck up beeatch who refused to ride pillion with him if he'd been drinking. Why should he listen to me?!

Anyhow... As you say Yorkie - the definitely guaranteed way is to avoid all alcohol the day before driving/riding, but this is the real world and chances are you'll not stick to zero alcohol say, on a weekend, when most of us get the chance to go out for a ride... best just to exercise a little restraint and don't go out for a major drinking session on a Saturday night if you're planning to ride Sunday

None of us is perfect and it's usually when we start banning ourselves from something that the complete opposite happens... look at pretty much any woman who announces she's going on a diet!

                                                                                                                                                                             

Oh P.S. you'll be glad to know that the chap in question has not owned a bike or a car for some years now, so you're not likely to come up against him on the roads 

                                                                                                                                                                             

soz yorkie just read back what i said not nice u might be 53" tall but i think u ment 5Ɖ"  dont know lost plot now lol     wannabe its never stops amazing me the damage that alcahol dose. after going on courses to do with adopting kids I looked at reserch on the damage caused by drink and drugs, and by far the most and ireversable damage was caused by drink in developing babies and young children yet its the most preverlent and accessable drug about !   often wonder to my self why the hell its still leagal but then i go into the pub and forget it all and drown away the stresses !                                                                                                                                                                              

oh that was supposed to say 5ft 8" but im poo at typing . I see what u mean Wannabe i do a lot of driving because i work 20mile away from home that and im a lazy bard and dont see why i should walk to the corner shop  so for me not to drink 24hrs b4 driving or riding i'd have to give up dinking all together, i think i'll just stick with the common sence approach and not get completley off my boobs the nite b4. very good answer by the way                                                                                                                                                                              

You're not poo at typing Yorkie... the forum just doesn't like apostrophes between numbers... you're OK if you pop a space between them though

e.g. 6Ɗ" or 6' 4"




often wonder to my self why the hell its still leagal but then i go into the pub and forget it all and drown away the stresses !

I make you right WN!



                                                                                                                                                                             

 that was funny WN. Its wierd that drinking is probably the uks most popular pass time and yet so many bad things can come of it such as loosing ur licence or getting into a fight 4 no reason it probably shouldnt be legal                                                                                                                                                                              

But wheres the fun in that A !                 5Ǝ"    5' 8"                                                                                                                                                                             

your right again wannabe thanks 4 the lesson in typing                                                                                                                                                                             

Just don't do it, seemples !!                                                                                                                                                                             

Which is good coming from a p*ss-head !!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

WB is right the rule of thumb is 1 single tot p/hr or 1 pint p/hr,BUT who sticks to these rules on a night out???                                                                                                                                                                             

after a night out i cant even remember what i did never mind how how much i drank                                                                                                                                                                               

thats what i mean when your having a good time who counts the liquids ?? just dont do it and drive its not worth it and dangerous to all .                                                                                                                                                                             

aye well you wouldnt leave the pub and jump straight on to your bike or into your car so why would u have a few hours sleep and then do it especially since it may of only been anything from 4 and 8 hours since your last drink. With a bit of foward planning you can drink as much as you want because you'd know that your not driving or riding the next day or that you've got somebody who can give you a lift if you do have to be somewhere it all boils down to common sence really

its simples realy just shelld out on new to me bike ! so now cant afford a drink !!!!!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

imagine if every 1 saved all the money they'd spent on drinking over the years, we could all buy our dream bikes